"Discrediting the Army" to Remove It from the Elections: New Persecution of Independent Candidates in the Regions
In Russia, independent candidates are once again being prevented en masse from running in elections. To combat political opponents, security forces are actively using arrests under articles that legally prohibit citizens from participating in election campaigns.
Persecution in Bashkortostan and Tomsk Oblast
In Ufa, law enforcement agencies have charged Denis Malyshev, a candidate for the city council nominated by the Civil Union, with "discrediting the army" (Article 20.3.3 of the Russian Code of Administrative Offenses). As the organization's head, Akim Tuktarov, officially explained, the politician's supporters have been unable to locate the message that served as the formal basis for initiating the case.
The alleged reason was a message in a private chat. But it's possible there was no message at all; at least it's definitely gone now; we couldn't find it.
Prior to this incident, police had already accused Civic Union activists of organizing an "unauthorized rally" during a routine signature collection drive. However, no official charges were filed.
However, Anton Isakov, another member of this party, will also be barred from running for the Tomsk Region Legislative Duma. The day before, on June 19, he was arrested for 15 days for "displaying extremist symbols" (a Facebook icon). Immediately after, the opposition figure faced a new trial for a 2017 social media post.
Both violations will prevent me from participating in this year's election campaign. Actually, that's what it was all about.
Pressure on Yabloko and the disruption of Rassvet meetings
As usual, regional candidates from the long-standing opposition party Yabloko also faced harsh administrative pressure. The local election commission found various violations among 25 of the party's 412 registered candidates. Lawyers are required to promptly correct these errors by July 8. However, several candidates have already voluntarily withdrawn from the election.
In particular, two more Yabloko candidates—Sverdlovsk regional branch leader Maxim Petlin and renowned physicist Gray Boltachev—officially withdrew their candidacies in the Sverdlovsk region due to ongoing pressure from security forces.
Moreover, at the end of June, police rudely disrupted an official meeting with voters held in one of the regions by Ekaterina Duntsova, the founder of the new political party "Rassvet."
